Maintaining and building relationships is important for ensuring effective performance and can strengthen your ability to face challenges. Providing constructive feedback effectively is important for these relationships and it can be a powerful motivator when it is specific and behavioural.

What are some of the barriers to constructive feedback?

1. Being unclear regarding the purpose of the feedback e.g. “help them to make better decisions”
2. Not establishing trust with the recipient. You should let them know what to expect from the feedback process, do what you say you will do and act with their best interests in mind.
3. Not listening to the recipient’s view of the world. Listen to what they say, how they say it and ask questions to clarify their point of view. Make sure they feel understood, accepted and validated.
4. Prescribing your own solutions. Instead, you should encourage the recipient to identify their own opportunities for improvement. Get the recipient thinking by asking probing questions. For example “What could you have done differently?”
5. Not following up quickly with other feedback when you have seen improvements (i.e. recognition of positive behaviours in order to bring about change).
6. Not being honest about the behaviour you see, it’s impact or what degree of change is required.

Consider the following tips to improve your delivery of constructive feedback:

• Take responsibility for your own actions
• Stay interested in others without self promotion
• Act to draw out the best in others
• Appreciate and value differences
• Tell the truth when it matters
• Use “I” statements rather than “You”

Final tip: Model the behaviour you desire by accepting feedback from others with an open mind and co-operative spirit.